First, Biden has to get the pandemic under control. Duh. Unless the new Administration does so in good order, all bets are off. Once a proven vaccine becomes available, there’s the question of whether enough people will take it to create herd immunity. Masks and hand washing alone will not stop this virus, so another dose of stimulus money is going to be needed to feed the families of the Covid-unemployed and help them pay their rent.
But let’s hope for the best. Let’s say that, at some point in late 2021 or early 2022 the pandemic is largely behind us, and the economy is back up and running. What then?
One possibility might be an infrastructure package. Remember, back in 2017, when those on both sides of the political aisle were talking about how crucial it was to restore the nation’s unsafe roads, bridges, rail lines, and seaports to proper working condition? Never happened, of course. Even if both Senate runoff races in Georgia go blue, giving Biden control of both Houses of Congress, it will be difficult to get any sizable infrastructure deal. So those potholes in the roadways leading to your buildings aren’t going to vanish overnight.
Then there’s the Green New Deal. In the primary debates Biden treated the Green New Deal like the plague—as if we needed another one . But he has signed on to bits and pieces of it. He has pledged to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change “on day one” and says he wants to ban oil and gas leases on federal lands, but would only phase out fracking over an undefined period of time in places where it is currently being practiced.
Biden is pushing a $1.7 trillion clean energy plan that he says will produce millions of new jobs, particularly in solar energy, wind, and geothermal. We should be encouraging greater use of renewables in our commercial and residential buildings, which account for 40% of energy use—and resulting carbon emissions. Before we start throwing PVs on every roof in America, though, we need a program to cut the energy consumption in buildings by 60-70%. How do you do that most effectively? Through the use of proven, commonly available, low-tech solutions: more and better insulation, LED lighting, high-efficiency heating-cooling systems, and highly energy-efficient water heating systems.
Biden says he has a plan to retrofit four million buildings, weatherize two million homes, and build 1½ million sustainably designed homes and rental apartments in four years. He may have to arm wrestle a few Republican Senators to get even a piece of that plan through Congress. But if he does, it could be a boon for the multifamily real estate sector.
Related Stories
Higher Education | Aug 7, 2023
Building a better academic workplace
Gensler's David Craig and Melany Park show how agile, efficient workplaces bring university faculty and staff closer together while supporting individual needs.
University Buildings | Aug 7, 2023
Eight-story Vancouver Community College building dedicated to clean energy, electric vehicle education
The Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation, to be designed by Stantec, will house classrooms, labs, a library and learning center, an Indigenous gathering space, administrative offices, and multiple collaborative learning spaces.
Green | Aug 7, 2023
Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high
Solar provided a record-high 7.3% of U.S. electrical generation in May, “driven in large part by growth in ‘estimated’ small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV whose output increased by 25.6% and accounted for nearly a third (31.9%) of total solar production,” according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Resiliency | Aug 7, 2023
Creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain
As temperatures in many areas hit record highs this summer, cities around the world are turning to creative solutions to cope with the heat. Here are several creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain.
Government Buildings | Aug 7, 2023
Nearly $1 billion earmarked for energy efficiency upgrades to federal buildings
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced plans to use $975 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding for energy efficiency and clean energy upgrades to federal buildings across the country. The investment will impact about 40 million sf, or about 20% of GSA’s federal buildings portfolio.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 4, 2023
Nashville gets 'first-of-its-kind' residential tower
Global architecture firm Goettsch Partners announces the completion of Alcove, a new 356-unit residential tower in Nashville, Tenn., developed by Giarratana LLC.
Industrial Facilities | Aug 3, 2023
The state of battery manufacturing in the era of EV
One of the most significant changes seen in today’s battery plant is the full manufacturing process—from raw materials to the fully operational battery.
Government Buildings | Aug 2, 2023
A historic courthouse in Charlotte is updated and expanded by Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ design retains the original building’s look and presence.
Hotel Facilities | Aug 2, 2023
Top 5 markets for hotel construction
According to the United States Construction Pipeline Trend Report by Lodging Econometrics (LE) for Q2 2023, the five markets with the largest hotel construction pipelines are Dallas with a record-high 184 projects/21,501 rooms, Atlanta with 141 projects/17,993 rooms, Phoenix with 119 projects/16,107 rooms, Nashville with 116 projects/15,346 rooms, and Los Angeles with 112 projects/17,797 rooms.
Architects | Aug 1, 2023
Ware Malcomb announces hire of Jason Golub as Regional Director
In this role, Golub is responsible for the overall leadership and continued growth of the office.